Devotion
by The 19th Mad Hatter
Summary: Allen and Kanda are sent to investigate odd occurrences at a mansion in Edo. When they arrive they discover that not all things are as they seem. Rated for yaoi and language. Pairing shall remain a mystery... for now.
1. A Grim Arrival

Devotion

By: The 19th Mad Hatter

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Katsura Hoshino-sama (and several other people, actually), but the plot's all mine.

Warning: Rated M for sexual content and language. There will be yaoi; if you don't like, don't read.

Pairing: Wouldn't you like to know?

Setting: Somewhere before the group heads to Edo in the actual storyline.

Summary: Allen and Kanda are sent to investigate reports of odd occurrences at a mansion in Edo, but when they arrive they discover that all is not as it seems...

Characters: Some characters included are not from the D.Gray-man series. Krad and Dark are both from DNAngel, but have their own bodies. Light Yagami and L are from Death Note. Reno, Kadaj, and Cloud are from Final Fantasy VII. Roxas and Axel are from Kingdom Hearts. Turkish is Jason Statham, and the Russian mafia members are mostly from the Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. All of these characters are very ooc. It's not important for you to have read any of the series listed above, but it might make some things more interesting.

* * *

**A Grim Arrival**

Allen Walker stared out of the window of the train and watched the raindrops fly by, anxiously awaiting the journey's halt in Edo. He noticed quite early on that Kanda was doing an unusual amount of brooding. He strongly suspected that their destination was the reason, but also knew that asking could be fatal, so he kept his mouth shut. He vaguely wished that a certain redhead was there to lighten the mood.

He was actually quite curious as to the reason for the other exorcist's aversion to his home, because it seemed to be more than the simple fact that the place had become a haven for akuma and the Millennium Earl. He wanted to know, but the raven-haired man was pointedly staring at the opposite wall with a glare just slightly heavier than the normal one, his arm slung carelessly over the back of the seat. His aura screamed 'untouchable.' Allen spared a glance and went back to his raindrops.

- Xx -

Yuu Kanda stepped off of the train in Edo. He breathed in the air and with it the bittersweet memories, which he quickly shoved to the back of his mind. He glanced to his shorter companion, and withheld a reaction as the boy looked around with wide eyes. "Che, Moyashi. Let's go. Edo is crawling with akuma."

Allen looked up as the Japanese man spoke for the first time since they had entered the country. "I have _a name," _he mumbled, but thought better of pressing the issue. "The mansion's not far from here... It's supposed to be safe."

Kanda gave a small nod and pulled the hood of his cloak further over his face to conceal his humanity, making sure in the process that Allen did the same. The pair made their way in the direction the suspicious mansion was supposed to be. They kept to the shadows, which wasn't difficult due to the bad weather. Ten minutes later, they arrived at the foreboding structure. (a/n - there's a picture of the mansion edited by yours truly posted on my profile.)

It was situated on a slight hill, and it had a huge fountain in front of it. This merely added to the melancholy of the place as the gray of the clouds reflected off of the water. The walkway curved around the fountain and led up to the large stone staircase. It was flanked by tall hedges and led directly to the gothic mansion's large door. The whole building was made out of a dark gray stone, and the roof was pitch black. There was lighter stone framing the numerous windows, but it didn't lessen the effect at all. Allen gaped shamelessly at it, and Kanda scoffed at him, but was noticeably more cautious than he had been a second before. The teen regained his composure and the two stepped onto the stone path. They instantly knew something was wrong.

The building had _aged._ Right before their eyes, it was suddenly looking like a well-preserved relic of the past. The shrubbery was looking as manicured as ever, but certain changes were obvious. Kanda quickly concealed his shock and turned around to inspect the structures down the street. They had changed too, or rather a few had aged considerably and the rest had been replaced with strange architecture. The street looked new as well, but oddly flat, as if one giant solid slab of stone had been used. Only the gloom remained the same. "What the hell?"

Allen took in their surroundings and gave a shaky laugh. "At least we know there's something to investigate." He stepped back into the street experimentally, but found that nothing reverted back. He looked to Kanda.

The raven-haired man glanced to the side before replying, "Che, there's nothing we can accomplish out here... let's go speak to the owner and see if he has any idea what's going on." He strode along the path up to the stairs and Allen followed close behind.

Kanda pounded loudly on the door, much to Allen's horror. They heard a "Coming!" and the door opened, revealing a slightly tan man with almost shoulder length black and purple hair. He looked excited, but as he saw the pair, his face fell. "You're not the pizza delivery guy..." His eyes narrowed as he paused and studied their attire. He turned and shouted, "Krad, it must be for you!"

Allen turned and looked quizzically at Kanda. "Pizza... delivery... guy?" The man was already retreating from their sight.

Kanda rolled his eyes. "Fuck if I know. It's _not_ a cultural thing."

A quite pale man with a blond ponytail that reached his lower back sauntered up to the doorway and leaned casually against it. "Is there something I can help you gentlemen with?" His golden eyes glittered with amusement.

Allen spoke quickly so that Kanda wouldn't explode at the blond. "You're Krad, then? I'm Allen Walker, and this is Yuu Kanda, and we were sent by Komui Lee to discover the cause of some strange occurrences that have been reported in the area. He said he knows you, and I have a letter from him right..." He paused as he searched the inside of his coat, "here." He thrust the letter towards the man, only just noticing the confusion spreading across his face.

Krad reached out hesitantly and took the letter. "Komui... Lee?"

Allen nodded sharply. "You do know him, right?"

He slowly unfolded the parchment and a slightly pained look marred his features for a moment as he read. "I... did. Once. I really don't know what to say. This is certainly Komui's handwriting, and the materials are right for the time period, but... he's been dead for over a hundred years."

Not even Kanda could conceal his shock.

* * *

Wow, so that's the first chapter of the first fanfic I've ever posted! Reviews are much appreciated and flames shall be pointedly ignored. Please, tell me what you think! I like constructive criticism just as much as ego boosts, but... I don't expect the ego boosts. Thanks for reading. I'll try to update in a couple days, since I really don't have much else to do.


	2. The Door

Devotion

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Katsura Hoshino-sama (and several other people, actually), but the plot's all mine.

Warning: Rated M for sexual content and language. There will be yaoi; if you don't like, don't read.

Characters: Some characters included are not from the D.Gray-man series. Krad and Dark are both from DNAngel, but have their own bodies. Light Yagami and L are from Death Note. Reno, Kadaj, and Cloud are from Final Fantasy VII. Roxas and Axel are from Kingdom Hearts. Turkish is Jason Statham, and the Russian mafia members are mostly from the Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. All of these characters are very ooc. It's not important for you to have read any of the series listed above, but it might make some things more interesting.

To FireNose: Ack. I'm a Yullen fan myself, but... I'm actually not sure what's going to happen regarding pairings anymore. I did know, but now I can't decide, heh. It's all your fault, with those damn eyes. You'll just have to wait and see? Thanks for reviewing!

To Oystiee: I'm going to be shirking all of my other responsibilities to update, thanks to the wonderfully encouraging reviews.

* * *

**The Door**

The pain spread across Krad's face wasn't enough to stop Kanda's outburst. "What the hell!? Make sense _now_." To emphasize his point, the man drew Mugen and attempted to threaten the blond with it. Instead of the blade coming to rest lightly on the pale neck as he had intended, it sliced through thin air.

Krad, now behind Kanda, voiced his protest in a calm but deadly tone. "I do not appreciate being threatened on my own doorstep. You'd do well to remember it, especially since it is my hospitality you are relying on to complete your 'investigation.' I'll allow you to come in and explain things to the best of my ability, but if you try _anything_ like that again, you'll never set foot inside this house as long as you live. Is that clear?"

Kanda, shocked at the other's speed and close proximity, gave a glare and a nod.

Allen let out a breath he was unaware he'd been holding. Krad... the man had moved too fast to be seen by the human eye. It seemed merely a blur of color, and then there was the fact that few could move faster than Kanda. On top of that, Allen had Kanda's retreat to consider. It wasn't normal at all; could the raven-haired man possibly have recognized the gravity of the situation?

Krad smiled and said, "Right this way, if you will." He led the flustered pair into a lavish sitting room. Allen glanced around and chose a finely upholstered crimson couch. Kanda joined him on it swiftly.

"Hmm... Turkish, if you could prepare tea and some of those delicious little finger sandwiches, I'm sure our guests would be grateful," the blond said to the handsome butler with gentlemanly flourish.

"Of course, sir," the man replied in a low British accent with a smirk. He strode quickly down the corridor and away from the room.

Krad moved to sit in the cream colored chair across from the two exorcists. He crossed his legs casually and looked as if he was deciding where to begin. They anxiously awaited the answers to the many questions that were running through their minds, but before the blond could open his mouth, the man with purple highlights from before burst into the room.

"Finger sandwiches? _Really, _Krad. The pizza's gonna be here any minute! And it's meat lover's..." The man had a hazy, adoring look on his face as he said it, and Krad's expression held a mixture of mocking and adoration.

"I'm sorry, but you know the pizza's mostly for you anyway. There are some things I must discuss with these fine gentlemen, so I guess you'll have to enjoy it without me this time. Excuse my poor manners; this is Dark, my other half. These two," he added, turning back to Dark, "are Allen Walker and Yuu Kanda. It seems they may be staying with us for a while."

"Oh? Well in that case, welcome." He flashed the two a charming smile and walked away, humming merrily to himself.

Krad sighed. "Now that we've gotten the introductions and interruptions out of the way, we can talk about this. I believe I would be correct in assuming that neither of you have any idea of what's going on?"

Allen nodded. "I just spoke to Komui yesterday using Timcanpy, so I'm not sure how he could be dead... and for so long?"

"And how would you have known him over a hundred years ago?" added Kanda. "You can't be more than twenty-five." He fixed the blond with an intense stare.

Krad chuckled despite the emotions he was still experiencing. "I know he's dead; I was at his funeral and I saw his body lying in a casket. I can tell by your conviction that you're not lying, which admittedly was my first guess. Still, since you're not lying, then there is only one other possibility." The man paused for dramatic effect. "I believe you both were sent forward in time. Maybe you went through a wormhole, or some spot of magic... but whatever the case, you're here now. It's the year 2008."

Allen's jaw dropped, and Kanda was quick to reiterate. "2008!? I told you to make sense," he growled.

Krad replied, "And I'm attempting, I assure you. You're from the late 1800's, correct? Tokyo is still called Edo?"

Allen recovered enough to answer. "Tokyo? This is Edo... but it's Tokyo now?"

The blond nodded in response. "It was changed somewhere in the late 1800's, but I don't remember very well; I was in England at the time. Actually, I spent most of the 1800's in England, because of some issues I had with this place."

Kanda's eyes narrowed. "You spent _most_ of the 1800's in England? Just what the fuck are you!?"

Krad's eyes lit up at the question. "You aren't very useful with deductive reasoning, are you? I thought it must be obvious by this point that I'm not human, and you seem to have gathered that much, but honestly, you don't have any guesses?"

"I don't play mind games. Just answer the question!" the Mugen wielder ground out through his teeth.

The man chuckled once more. "Fine. You're really no fun, you know. To really understand the world, you have to allow that fiction holds a bit of truth. People have vivid imaginations, but they need something substantial to plant the ideas in their minds." Krad paused as Turkish brought in the tea and sandwiches on a silver platter and set them on the table between the exorcists and the blond. "Tea, gentlemen?"

The teenager nodded and reached out to accept a cup, while Kanda growled with impatience. As Krad and Allen prepared their tea, he continued his lengthy explanation.

"Unsolved mysteries are often the cause of fiction; in the seventeenth century, a child with epilepsy was 'possessed,' and things that couldn't be explained were blamed on 'magic.' Even though these things were the roots of stories more often than not, occasionally something truly frightening inspires fiction." A sad look crossed his features before he went on. "I knew Komui over a hundred years ago because I am one of the things that go 'bump' in the night. I'm a vampire." He took a cucumber sandwich off of the tray and ate it daintily.

Allen stared. "If you're a vampire... why are you eating a sandwich!?"

"Oh... I do indulge a bit in human pleasures, I suppose. You're exorcists of the Black Order, correct?"

Allen nodded, still having difficulty with the... man sitting before him. A vampire? Obviously nothing like Krory, who only drank the blood of akuma. He looked up and refocused on the vampire's words.

"I've been around long enough to tell you the outcome of that war of yours... though if I did, could history be altered? Well, by you two coming here, there is a risk that it has been altered already. Oh my, this certainly is an entertaining dilemma. I've never dealt with time travel before... I suppose you'll be staying then, seeing as you have no where else to go?"

Kanda rolled his eyes and Allen decided to speak. "Yes, I guess so. We'll have to work on a way to get back while seeking the source of the oddities. Do they still persist? If so, both problems could actually be related..."

Krad sighed. "I'm pretty sure the oddities you're referring to do still persist. The reports from the citizens were of nightly screaming, correct?"

Allen, a little disconcerted, said, "Yes. They... persist? So, it's not... um, you, is it?"

The blond laughed. "No, most certainly not. It's kind of a long story actually, but I feel as though you have the time."

Kanda sighed and made himself more comfortable, while Allen inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that they were probably going to survive.

"It all started around two hundred years ago, when I had this mansion built," began the vampire. "I drew the floor plans for the first three floors and the attic. It was all I wanted, really, but the architect assured me that a basement would be useful for any number of reasons. Having entirely too much money and nothing to do with it, I consented to a basement and told the architect that he could do whatever he wanted with it. I wasn't particularly concerned with what rooms went where. When the mansion was done, I was given the blueprints for all of the floors."

Krad looked to the side with an expression akin to horror and awe, and continued. "The architect had a flare for the creepy and macabre. Not only was the basement four floors, but the things that he put in them... there's supposedly a vast ancient pool on the last one, and some catacombs in the one up from that."

At this point Kanda cut in. "Supposedly? What do you mean, supposedly?"

The blond put his hand to his mouth and coughed lightly. "I was just getting to that. When I moved in, I was given a set of keys for the place. All of them worked, save for one, the basement key. I was young and careless and I didn't much see the point in breaking into the place, since I hadn't wanted it anyway. Twenty years passed before I decided to press the matter.

"You see, curiosity is a terrible thing. It can drive a man mad in various ways, and I resolved to discover just what was in that basement on one fateful afternoon when my curiosity got the best of me. It was my house, was it not? I had a right to know, or so I thought. I tried to make a new key, melt the lock, kick in the door, destroy the door, and even hired a team of men to take the thing off. Nothing worked. It was as if the thing were bound by an unseen force, by magic, even.

"I stopped trying to get in, but by then it was too late. I had... for lack of better phrase, awoken the monster. That's when the screaming began. The most terrible shrieks you could imagine; they could be heard even outside the walls. Those were the source of your reports. But that's certainly not all it did. A maid or two went missing every three months, and late at night sometimes blood would seep out from under the door, pools of it. I lived alone at the time, so I decided it wasn't worth the trouble, and left for England. I came back on occasion to make sure that the estate was in order, but I couldn't stand to stay for more than three days at a time. That, good sirs, is what you shall be investigating."

Allen's pallor almost matched his hair. "You... why do you live here _now?_"

Krad smirked. "The screams died down a bit over the years... and I had it soundproofed."

Kanda stood suddenly. "Take us to see this door," he demanded.

Krad nodded. "I will, but... shouldn't you be a bit more concerned about my diet?" He grinned.

* * *

Hmm, chapter two. This was kind of a pain, because I had to type the first half on a mini pc with a tiny keyboard. I couldn't wait to keep writing... Review, please?


	3. A Lesson in Inquiry

Devotion

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Katsura Hoshino-sama (and several other people, actually), but the plot's all mine. Also, if anyone was looking to sue me, the most expensive thing I own is my manga collection.

Warning: Rated M for sexual content and language. There will be yaoi; if you don't like, don't read.

Characters: Some characters included are not from the D.Gray-man series. Krad and Dark are both from DNAngel, but have their own bodies. **Light Yagami and L are from Death Note,** **but their plot line has been moved slightly forward in time, as they are currently in the Yotsuba arc, but in 2008. ****(Admittedly, this was something I overlooked. Sorry, for those of you to whom it makes a difference!)** Reno, Kadaj, and Cloud are from Final Fantasy VII. Roxas and Axel are from Kingdom Hearts. Turkish is Jason Statham, and the Russian mafia members are mostly from the Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. All of these characters are very ooc. It's not important for you to have read any of the series listed above, but it might make some things more interesting.

Author's note: While I'm writing this, I usually listen to Soul of Grief by Kaoru Wada from the D.Gray-man OST. It really helps set the grim mood. If you can find it, it's great on repeat. For this chapter, I also listened to Bela Lugosi's Dead by Bauhaus, which is easier to find and almost ten minutes long.

To Oystiee: Krad has always been a personal favorite of mine, though I know he's slightly out of character... I just couldn't resist. He's fabulous. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

**A Lesson in Inquiry**

Allen's stomach did a couple of flips and Kanda slowly sat back down. The white haired teenager gave a shaky laugh. "I don't know, should we?"

Krad's grin gradually got wider as he replied, "Probably not. I abstain for the most part from human blood in general, tending to be okay with a synthetic form of the stuff... but when I get insatiable I find a particularly nasty evildoer and do the world a favor. You know, murderers and the like."

Allen's eyes narrowed. "How do you know they're truly evil!? What if they committed the crime in the heat of the moment, or are able to repent and reform at a later date? How do you justify killing just them!?"

The blond's grin shrunk considerably and he spoke. "My victims are way beyond redemption. I know this because I'm not just speculating like that bastard mass murderer, Kira. I can see what's in their minds by touching them."

The raven-haired man decided at this point to speak up. "Kira, mass murderer? Explain."

Krad brought a hand up to his forehead and massaged his temples before chuckling. "You know, I actually thought this might be fun, but you... you're just a pain in the ass!" He sighed. "Kira is the murderer that a famous detective known as L is trying to catch. He only kills criminals, and he kills them without ever coming in contact with them. He's convinced he's justice."

Kanda was silent for a few moments. "That's... sickening."

Allen's eyes widened a fraction. "I think you should actually explain your vampiric abilities. You can... see what's in people's minds, but what else can you do? What's the extent of your weaknesses as far as this whole thing goes?"

"Well, let's start by separating fact from fiction... garlic doesn't affect me, and sunlight only minimally weakens me. Crosses and holy water really don't work because I don't believe in God, and wooden stakes aren't so much fatal as a pain in the chest. A slight pain at that, because they don't really breach the surface too much. I'm faster than most things you'll ever come across, as you might have noticed. I can be injured, but I heal quickly enough. I'm also partial to the cold, being unfeeling and undead. I may or may not have a soul; who can tell these days? I know I have emotions, so I've never been too concerned with it." The vampire smirked, as if mocking his last few sentences.

"Oh," Allen said.

"The door," Kanda reminded coldly, and stood.

The other two rose in succession and the blond smiled cordially, much to Kanda's distaste. "Right this way, gentlemen." He led them out of the sitting room, cup of tea in hand. They walked down a long corridor lined with doors, leaving curiosity out of their minds as they passed them one by one. The hall, like the rest of the rooms they had seen, was beautifully furnished in a victorian goth style that seemed out of place in Japan. Neither exorcist had much time to ponder their host's eccentricities, since they had arrived at a rather imposing door.

Both quickly realized that this was not the door behind which terrors unimaginable occurred. It was too austere. Their suspicions were confirmed as Krad drew a huge ring of keys from his pocket and picked one out of the bunch to slide into the lock on the door. There was a small 'click' and the vampire looked back to his guests with a mixture of amusement and grim acceptance. "I hope you're prepared, exorcists, for something the likes of which you've never seen before." With that he turned the handle.

Despite the warning, Allen wasn't prepared for the sight or sounds before him. The room the first door opened upon was small and square, with simple white paint that had aged over the years to a plain cream. There was an old wooden bench against the left wall, and a small rectangular window with a wrought iron design and clear and red glass above it. The gray light from outside filtered through it, adding to the impenetrable gloom. The object that commanded the most attention, however, was the rich crimson door directly across from the group. What was more, the soundproofing had certainly worked. The second the door was open, they heard not screams, but low moans, almost like wailing. As they filed into the room, an angry tapping began, shaking the door in it's fury.

"Well? What do you think of my little problem?" The blond inquired with an intense gaze at the two.

Allen paled once more as he noticed the brown, almost coffee colored stains in front of the door itself. "I... honestly? I know we have to look into it, in case it's innocence, but... I don't _want_ to know what's behind that."

A silence ensued. The other exorcist walked to the door and pressed his hands and ear to it, listening intently. He heard a sharp hiss and backed away as if burned. "Evil," he said. "Nothing but pure evil lies behind that door, and we have to confirm it anyway. I don't know how you haven't managed to get rid of it after almost two hundred years. You haven't even fucking tried."

"You don't know anything about me," the blond snapped.

"I sure as hell don't want to lose my life cleaning up your mess, but that seems quite likely now!" Kanda was pissed, and Allen could foresee the coming explosion.

"I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen, jerk-off, though I don't really see why I should bother! Your personality certainly leaves something to be desired!"

Allen broke in. "Hey! Both of you, just shut up! If we're going to stay here, Kanda, you have to be civil! And Krad, his worries are valid, though poorly voiced! That thing is fricking creepy!" He emphasized his words by pointing to the door.

Krad sighed, still looking miffed. "I know. Why do you think I reinforced the other door with steel?"

The teenager glanced behind Krad at the door, which had swung partially closed. There was indeed steel, and it didn't fit the feel of the room at all. "I'm just saying, this looks like it's going to take a while. Uh... what's the bench for?"

Kanda glared at the blond but remained silent as he answered. "It's just... something that's always been in this room. Before I tried to force my way in, I used to come here to think. It was quiet. It's... probably what peaked my curiosity, actually. Just staring at that door, wondering what lay behind it as I went over my problems in my head. I didn't have the heart to move it out after the... thing made it's presence known. I think the room would look rather empty without it anyway."

Allen nodded, pensive.

Krad looked as if he had just remembered something. "You two are done in here for now, right?"

The raven-haired man continued to glare dully but gave a firm, "Yes."

"Then let me show you to your rooms. Once you get settled, I'll introduce you to my other guests and see to some sustenance for all."

Allen stared as they started to file out of the foreboding room. "Other guests?"

The vampire smirked. "Yes. A few months back Dark and I accidentally adopted a teenage boy, around your age, I believe, and it set into motion a chain of events which has left my home more full than it's ever been. It's been a quite a nice break from the monotony that our lives had become."

Kanda snickered. "How do you _accidentally _adopt a teenage boy?"

Krad's eyes narrowed. "When you live with someone like Dark, _anything_ can happen. He's the most idiotic, careless _genius_ I've ever met."

They came upon Turkish in their short jaunt, and Krad lit up upon seeing the butler. "Ah, Turkish! Just the man I was looking for... I wonder, will you show our guests up to the rooms you had the maids prepare? I have to go tell everybody to come to dinner and instruct the chef what to cook."

Turkish gave a sharp nod, and turned to lead the way up the stairs. Allen caught Krad just as he was about to walk away. "Hey, um, Krad!"

The blond turned. "Yes, Allen?"

"I, well, my body requires a lot of food to function due to my parasite-type innocence, so... I'd appreciate it if you asked the chef to make a lot... I mean, if it's a possibility." The boy blushed lightly.

Krad smiled warmly. "I understand completely. I'll let him know." With that, the man walked away. Allen turned to follow Turkish and Kanda, but not before witnessing the vampire giving instructions with a wide grin to fetch all of the guests to an adorable maid who looked positively flustered from talking to him.

-Oo-

Allen flounced down onto the fluffy cloud-like bed with a sigh. It was a nice room, that much couldn't be denied. Still, it was an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. He removed Tim from his pocket and attempted to reach Komui or the Black Order headquarters. He had no such luck, as he'd predicted. None of the comrades he had come to cherish were present, save for one. The only one who hated him. Fan-freaking-tastic.

-Xx-

Kanda slouched low in the chair in the corner of his room. Here inside his head, he mused, was the only place he could be himself. He mentally went over the day's events. The eighteen year old recalled being silent on the trip and his teenage companion's apparent curiosity over his discomfort. He had, as usual, ignored it. If there was one thing Yuu didn't talk about, it was himself. Of course, that wasn't the only thing he didn't talk about. He'd spent most of his life perfecting the cold-hearted façade.

But oh, how many times there were since he'd met the cursed teenager that he'd almost dropped the whole thing! With Lavi, silent acceptance had been enough, because the man was so incredibly perceptive. Kanda had not had a reason to worry about breaking the mask with him, because all he required was an unspoken acknowledgment. Lavi allowed him to keep the barriers up, as long as there was an opening for the redhead most of the time, and in return, Kanda didn't make the persona he so easily saw through public.

Allen, though, was a different sort of person. He was the sincere type who probably couldn't see why both of them tried so hard to keep their real personalities inside. Even Lavi, who let some of the real him shine through most of the time, was a secretive person. It was the reason the two got along as well as they did. The silent understanding bred camaraderie.

Allen fought furiously against Kanda's shell. It thrilled the man slightly, but mostly it terrified him. If the teenager knew his reality, would he be disappointed? If he stopped pretending not to care, would he come to depend on someone? They were all valid questions, and the reason he had resolved to be the way he was. His childhood memories were not terribly pleasant ones, and he had absolutely no desire to open himself up and risk repeating them. At least, that's what he told himself.

* * *

Woot! Another chapter behind me. I can't believe how this is coming along... it's like the story unfolds itself before me... like those popcorn bags when you put them in the microwave. Then they make loud popping noises rather like the noises that go on in my head when I realize the plot bunnies and Krad, my muse, are being generous. Wow, I need a life. Or maybe a brain? Some pills?

Anyway, reviews are much appreciated! If you've made it this far, thanks for sticking with it!


	4. The Strange Array

Devotion

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Katsura Hoshino-sama (and several other people, actually), but the plot's all mine. Also, if someone were intending to sue, all they'd end up with would be my manga collection and this really gorgeous red victorian goth dress which happens to be my pride and joy. (After the manga collection, of course.)

Warning: Rated M for sexual content and language. There will be yaoi; if you don't like, don't read.

Characters: Some characters included are not from the D.Gray-man series. Krad and Dark are both from DNAngel, but have their own bodies. Raito Yagami and L are from Death Note, but their plot line has been moved slightly forward in time, as they are currently in the Yotsuba arc, but in 2008. (Admittedly, this was something I overlooked. Sorry, for those of you to whom it makes a difference!) Reno, Kadaj, and Cloud are from Final Fantasy VII. Roxas and Axel are from Kingdom Hearts. Turkish is Jason Statham, and the Russian mafia members are mostly from the Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. All of these characters are very ooc. It's not important for you to have read any of the series listed above, but it might make some things more interesting.

**To Oystiee:** I was actually wondering when someone was going to bring up the thing about Kanda. When reading other fanfics, I've seen him referred to as a brunette more often than not. The first time I typed it, it just sort of happened. I thought about it after and was like, '... Oh. He's definitely got black hair...' but I just sort of stuck with it for the sake of continuity. I think I'll go back and change it though, because you're right, it could be potentially confusing. I really appreciate the constructive criticism, it's useful. I'm glad you enjoy it. Thanks for reviewing so consistently!

**To Nella333:** Thanks for reviewing! I try to update every day, because of the few lovely reviews I've been getting. They really make a girl wanna write. XD

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**The Strange Array**

Allen was lost in thought when he heard the low knock on his door. "Yes?" he answered easily.

The door opened and a cute maid popped her head in. "Um, excuse me sir, but I was sent to inform you that dinner is served..."

The boy gave a wide grin. "Thanks! I suppose I'll follow you to the dining room?"

She blushed and nodded.

"Great," he replied.

He followed her through the hall and down the stairs, and then into a long room which held a long extravagant table. At the head, Krad was seated and chatting idly with a man to Dark's left; then scattered around that half of the table were some of the oddest people he had ever seen... together.

He quickly spotted Kanda seated to Krad's right, with one seat in between the two. Allen smirked and joined them, sitting in the middle seat partially because he didn't want Kanda starting something and partially because he didn't know anyone else in the room. Since Krad was still engaged with the other man and the raven-haired male to his right wasn't exactly the most talkative, he took the opportunity to study the other people at the table.

He had met Dark, of course, and he decided there was something suspicious about him. If Krad was supernatural... and wait a minute! Krad was just Dark backwards! That was... weird. He decided to forget it for the time being and moved on to the person the blond was chatting with. He had hair that was short save for a ponytail and sort of a dark red. He seemed to be laid back and cordial, and Allen couldn't help but note that he had twin tattoos in the corners of his eyes.

The man who was sitting to his left had hair that was even more shockingly red. It formed lazy spikes in the back. He was really thin, and talking quietly with a blond teenager who sat to his left. The boy had to be around Allen's age, and with a soft, "Oh," he realized that this must have been the accidental adopted son.

The next man at the table seemed to be brooding, and had a pretty similar hairstyle to the other teen's. It was blond as well and was strategically spiked. Allen got the feeling that only these two could successfully pull off the look. On occasion, he would glare lazily at the man across from him, who was talking animatedly. He seemed to be slightly younger than the blond man and had shoulder length silver hair. There was something about his grin that was creepy to Allen.

The two seated farthest away from the head of the table were both brunette and engaged in a heated debate in what sounded like... Russian. The one next to the blond seemed younger and also more cocky. The slightly older one just replied calmly; he was the one who was really more sure of himself.

The two seats between Kanda and the silver haired teen were unoccupied, but the situation was quickly remedied by the arrival of two men who were... chained together. On top of that, one looked like a sheltered rich kid and the other wore a simple white shirt and baggy jeans. The first had soft chocolate colored hair that was arranged neatly. The other's hair was jet black and in total disarray. The two looked like polar opposites. They took the empty seats and Krad finally finished with his pleasantries.

"Ah, Ryuuzaki and Raito-kun! I didn't fully expect to see you here tonight," The vampire said casually.

The one with weird hair and a bored look addressed Krad in a monotone. "Yes, well, I've studied the latest additions, and based upon their reactions to your mention of the case and the fact that they are somehow, inexplicably from the past, I have deduced that neither of them could possibly be Kira."

The youth's eyes narrowed. "What Ryuuzaki means," said the one who must have been Raito, "is that we're glad we could make it for the first time in a week."

Ryuuzaki looked up innocently. "That's not what I meant at all, Raito-kun."

The brunette rolled his eyes.

Krad smiled around at the group. "Now that we're all here, I suppose it's time for introductions. Everyone, these fine gentlemen are Allen Walker and Yuu Kanda. They're from the nineteenth century, so they may have a hard time adapting, and you may have to explain completely unreasonable and stupid things to them, but try to be amenable about it." He smirked as Kanda glared and continued.

"Allen and Kanda, you've met Dark already. The man to his left is Reno. He works for a company called Shinra, and is therefore a turk. He came here to get away from _that_ guy," he said, pointing to the silver haired teen Allen had noticed earlier. The teen smirked as Krad went on. "His name is Kadaj. He's insane, I don't recommend hanging around him for any length of time, and he came here stalking Reno. The man across from him is Cloud Strife. Though you'll hear Kadaj address him as 'brother,' they aren't actually related. There's this really long story that I don't want to go into, but basically Cloud saved Kadaj's life and since then he's had some stress. He came here to get away from all that, and by all that I mean Reno and Kadaj.

"The men sitting between Kanda and Kadaj are Raito Yagami and L, but you must refer to him as Ryuuzaki. He's the detective I told you about earlier, working on the Kira case. Actually, they both are. The third floor is all theirs.

"The ones across from them are Axel and Roxas. Roxas is our son, and Axel's his... best friend." Krad couldn't withhold his smirk when he said it. It was clear to Allen that something else was actually going on there.

"The two on the end don't actually live here, they're just dinner guests. They're my co-workers, Anton next to Kadaj and Kostya next to Cloud. You'll have to forgive them if they start speaking in Russian, it's their native tongue."

Allen smiled back at everyone, attempting to be polite. "Your co-workers? What do you do?"

Krad coughed. "We... import and export foreign goods."

Dark, Anton, and Kostya all snickered. L looked slightly amused. Raito stared at him quizzically, but he merely shook his head. Allen and Kanda were at a loss, but Kanda managed to seem as if he didn't care.

Krad just continued to smirk. "Now that we've gotten all of that out of the way, let's eat!"

At those words, maids seemed to appear out of nowhere with trays full of food. A full plate was set before each person, and serving dishes with more were set in any empty spaces that could be found. The only one who got a different meal was L. Allen was a little shocked to see cake on the man's plate. One maid wheeled a cart full of surplus food around next to the teen, and he smiled gratefully.

The meal was beautiful, consisting of sweet potato ravioli and chicken in a beautiful cream sauce. The sides were sautéed vegetables and some of the most appetizing french bread any of them had ever seen. The only one who looked put off was Dark.

"Krad... this is bird food! Where's the meat?"

The vampire looked slightly miffed. "Didn't you just have meat lover's pizza half an hour ago?"

Dark looked down. "Well, yeah, but..."

Krad rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. A waiter came out and replaced Dark's dish with a rare steak.

The man's eyes lit up. "This... this is why I love you!" With that, he began hastily cutting into it. Everyone else began to eat their meals as well.

Allen looked to Krad to explain.

The blond chuckled. "Dark's a werewolf. He gets... cravings."

Allen supposed that it was probably a waste of time to get surprised, but it didn't stop him from feeling a little queasy. He nodded, and then returned his attention to his meal, which despite the raven-haired man's protests smelled positively amazing.

-Xx-

Komui paced his study anxiously. He had given instructions to Allen and Kanda specifically to contact him daily and more specifically when they came into contact with Krad. They had done no such thing so far, and it was making the usually jovial man nervous. He had a bad feeling, but it had only been one day... who was he kidding? He had sent them into Japan, right to the capital of Edo, and it was overrun with akuma! There was a high chance that they had run into trouble.

The man had to make a decision, and his choice could mean life or death for two exorcists. On the other hand, if he sent in back up and the situation was bad enough that they were already dead... sending someone else could be wasteful. It was a hard consideration, but he had to make a choice... and he had to hope for the best. "Linali!"

"What!?" the girl asked, startled from the sudden noise.

Komui calmed himself down. "Can you go find Lavi for me?"

The girl nodded. "Of course. I'll be right back."

-Oo-

She returned with the redhead in tow, and said, "I found him."

Her brother looked relieved. "Ah, good. Would you mind leaving us alone for a minute?"

Linali looked confused, but replied, "Sure," and walked away, shutting the door lightly behind her.

Lavi looked at Komui quizzically. "What is so bad about this that Linali would have to leave?"

The man's brow furrowed. "I didn't want to worry her. I need you to go somewhere for me, without Bookman."

"Without the old Panda? Why?" Lavi inquired.

"Listen. I sent Allen and Kanda to Edo a little over a week ago, to investigate odd occurrences in the mansion of a friend of mine. The only condition was that they keep in touch constantly while they were in Japan. They've done this well, up until today. I don't want to jump the gun, but if they're in a sticky situation, which they very well could be... it takes days to get there.

"If I wait to send anyone until I was sure there was something wrong, there's a good chance they could wind up dead." Komui paused. "I need you to go alone because you can slip through the radar easier alone than with someone. I'll tell you where you need to go, but you'll have to be secretive the whole way... I'm sure you're good at that. Are you willing?"

Lavi looked worried. "Of course I'm willing... Yuu and Allen are in trouble. When do I leave?"

Komui breathed a sigh of relief. "Tomorrow morning. Pack your bag... you're going to Edo."

Ah, yay! Lavi's coming to add confusion! I did get pretty distracted today, which is why this is so late, but I'm actually proud of myself. I ignored the new PS3 to finish this! Let me know what you think by reviewing. It's surprising how a review or two inspires creativity.


	5. We're So Starving

Devotion

Disclaimer: I only wish the characters belonged to me... Katsura Hoshino-sama is pretty awesome.

Warning: Rated M for sexual content and language. There will be yaoi; if you don't like, don't read.

Characters: Some characters included are not from the D.Gray-man series. Krad and Dark are both from DNAngel, but have their own bodies. **Light Yagami and L are from Death Note, ****but their plot line has been ****greatly altered! I just decided that I, as the author of this fanfic, have creative license to do what ever I want with the plot, and the alterations suit my purposes much better. (Actually, I tried to avoid this. Really, I did! But unfortunately a key part of my plot just decided to hinge on the presence of some other characters from DN, and I have to do some fancy plot shuffling to fit them in. I hope you have fun guessing who!)**Reno, Kadaj, and Cloud are from Final Fantasy VII. Roxas and Axel are from Kingdom Hearts. Turkish is Jason Statham, and the Russian mafia members are mostly from the Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. All of these characters are very ooc. It's not important for you to have read any of the series listed above, but it might make some things more interesting.

Author's note: I'm sorry I haven't updated in ages, those of you that are loyal, but I had to get on a plane very last minute to go to a funeral, and I didn't have the time or inspiration to write while I was gone. I wanted to, but figured it would be crap. I'm back now, so no more delays!

**To Nella333: **It's no fun if it's not a surprise! Haha, but I like you and I like being glomped, so... I'll just say that you won't be disappointed. Thanks for reviewing once again!

**To Oystiee: **Honestly? I haven't decided on the main pairing yet. I'm just going to see where this thing takes me. It's frustrating, because I knew _exactly _where I was going. Now I have no clue. Once everything gets a little more settled with our main boys, I might do some chapters that focus more on the others, or I'll do them as separate stories that all connect. I'm leaning towards the second one, though. An L tee shirt is definitely an L-fan requirement. I wear mine lovingly. Thanks for reviewing!

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**We're So Starving**

Kanda had hurried back to his room after dinner to get away from the socialization and insanity, because that's all it was. _Insanity_. Especially that teenager with the silver hair. The guy had tried to talk to Kanda about... crazy stuff. Like all of his endeavors to stalk Reno, and how stubborn the man was. Like hell Kanda gave a crap. At all.

No, Kanda cared about nothing on the surface. There were a couple things he did care about... and one in particular had been bugging him on the entire trip to Japan. Now here, he still couldn't escape it. It followed him around, sat next to him at dinner, and broke up fights that were specifically to eliminate the tension _it _created. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if it was on it's way to his room right now.

It's name was Allen, and it was knocking on his door.

"Come in," he called out, and then immediately wondered what the _hell _he was thinking. It wasn't in his outward nature to answer politely, especially not to the unexpected infuriating object of his mind's attention. The words, however, would not seem to go back in, and before he knew it, his door was open and the teen was standing innocently on the other side.

"Uh... it's kind of cold in here and I thought... maybe itmightbewarmerwithtwopeopleintheroom," said the boy. The last part sort of tumbled out of his mouth.

Kanda rolled his eyes. "Che, what was that?"

Allen blushed furiously. "I said... It's cold and- Oh, whatever! I'm lonely and I can't get a hold of headquarters for obvious reasons, and you're the only person I know in this whole goddamn mansion, so if it's okay with you I would really just like to stay here for a while!"

The raven-haired man suppressed laughter. Even his eyes didn't betray him as he shrugged noncommittally and said, "Whatever."

The teen breathed a sigh of relief and sort of stumbled into the room. He sunk into the armchair next to Kanda's and closed his eyes tightly. "Everything is just so messed up... we don't belong here! We belong back with the others, fighting for the souls of mankind."

Kanda, still managing to keep the look of boredom, agreed. "There's really no reason for us to be here; if that thing in the basement is innocence, then my name isn't Kanda. I hate people who can't take care of their own problems."

Allen glanced at him. "Even worse, Komui and the people at headquarters are going to think we're dead. Komui will feel responsible for sending us to Edo..."

The man scoffed. "Serves him right, sending us to this insane acquaintance of his."

"I think Krad is a surprisingly amiable when you don't _deliberately_ piss him off."

"Maybe that's just because you pose no threat to him at all!"

"Oh what, and you do, jerkface!?"

"Damn right I do!"

"He could tear you to shreds with his little finger!"

"He'd be in pieces before he could flex it!"

"Obviously not, if the demonstration today was anything to judge by!"

"I'd like to see you do better, Moyashi!"

"It's _Allen, _or have you forgotten already!? You always were pretty slow, come to think of it..."

"You must have some guts!"

"Maybe you're just not that intimidating, _Yuu-chan_!"

By now both were standing and shouting at the top of their lungs. Allen's eyes filled with angry tears and he stormed out of the room. He strode into his own and slammed the door, quickly figuring out how to lock it. He leaned against it and slid down miserably. Why was it that every time he talked to Kanda it ended up a shouting match!? It was the last thing that he wanted, seeing as Kanda was his only ally, but the man was just so... infuriating.

He decided to wander the mansion and see if there was anything to do, since sitting around and moping definitely wasn't going to get him anywhere. The second floor seemed to consist of mostly bedrooms, so he decided to start on the first floor. The teen quickly located the stairs and descended them slowly as he took in the scenery. It really was a gorgeous place to live. It was obvious to Allen that whatever the blond vampire did that was so secretive was certainly a good source of income.

It didn't take the white haired teen long to wander into what looked like a library. Krad had been around for at least two hundred years, so Allen guessed that his collection must be pretty extensive.

He wasn't disappointed. There were all sorts of volumes, even dating back three or four hundred years, from the looks of them. They were organized by genre and Allen quickly found himself picking up a random book.

-Oo-

Reno stumbled upon the white-haired teen with his nose deep in a bright green and pink novel. His eyes were wide and his mouth made a little 'o' and Reno had to smirk when he saw that the boy was sitting in the romance section. The expression instantly made sense.

"Must be some pretty interesting stuff you're reading there, yo. What is it?"

The teen looked up slowly and met the man's eyes with muted horror. "I, uh, nothing, it's just that... I didn't know that was even possible!"

Allen noticed the redhead eying the volume and quickly made to shove it beneath him, but he was too slow. Soon it was in the man's grasp and the boy sighed, defeated. Reno smirked once more when he read the page that was open. "Kid, this is nothing. There are so many more _interesting _positions for two-"

"I don't wanna know! Don't say it!" Allen was now hunched over with his hands over his ears and his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

The redhead shrugged. "Okay, but you'll find out sooner or later, yo. You look like the type."

Allen fixed him with a steely glare. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, and then he walked out of the library.

-Xx-

Kanda paced his room. He had to get out. It was stifling, and his fight with Allen made him want to shout and punch things, for reasons he didn't understand. He figured he'd get acquainted with the twenty-first century. He wandered out of the room and down the stairs.

He came upon a closed door and decided to see if the room was occupied. It wasn't, but it was a strange room. It was dimly lit and it had rows of velvety seats. They seemed to be centered towards the farthest wall, which had a shiny black screen of some sort on it. The black haired man walked into it slowly, then noticed a door off to the side. It led into a large room full of what seemed to be plastic books. Upon further inspection, they were more like cases, so he tried to open one experimentally.

After some effort, it popped open. Inside was a circular piece of plastic. It read _28 Days Later. _He looked up at the shelf he'd taken it from, and there was a small label that said 'Horror' on it. Kanda glanced around the room. In the back, there seemed to be a machine of some sort. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a circular tray that seemed to be the same size as the disc. He carefully pulled it out of it's case and placed it in. It closed almost immediately, to the Mugen wielder's shock.

He heard sound coming from the adjacent room, and his eyes widened as he saw that the previously blank screen had moving pictures on it. Stunned, he sat in one of the seats and watched.

-Oo-

Lavi sighed as the boat rocked. He longed for the innocent smile of his white haired friend and the steady glare of the man who's life he'd forced his way into. He hoped sincerely that both were okay, but the length of the journey was killing him. Patience was a virtue, but it certainly wasn't _Lavi's_ virtue.

The soft sighing of the wind reminded him of a home long abandoned.

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So, that's chapter five for you. I actually have back stories of how everyone got to Krad's mansion... I might type up a few of them as side stories if I get reviews that encourage it. I'm considering Kadaj, Reno, and Cloud's story in particular... Let me know what you think!


	6. Minds of Similar Disposition

Devotion

Disclaimer: I only wish the characters belonged to me... but if they did, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction, obviously.

Warning: Rated M for sexual content and language. There will be yaoi; if you don't like, don't read.

Characters: Some characters included are not from the D.Gray-man series. Krad and Dark are both from DNAngel, but have their own bodies. Light Yagami and L are from Death Note, but their plot line has been greatly altered! I just decided that I, as the author of this fanfic, have creative license to do what ever I want with the plot, and the alterations suit my purposes much better. (Actually, I tried to avoid this. Really, I did! But unfortunately a key part of my plot just decided to hinge on the presence of some other characters from DN, and I have to do some fancy plot shuffling to fit them in. I hope you have fun guessing who!)Reno, Kadaj, and Cloud are from Final Fantasy VII. Roxas and Axel are from Kingdom Hearts. Turkish is Jason Statham, and the Russian mafia members are mostly from the Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. All of these characters are very ooc. It's not important for you to have read any of the series listed above, but it might make some things more interesting.

**To Nella333: **Haha,I know I'm terrible, but I gave you like, the biggest hint I could think of. Really. I may be a bit slower updating now, since I started another fic, but I'll try my best to balance my time between the two. Thanks, as always, for reviewing!

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Minds of Similar Disposition

Allen stared at the screen, enthralled by the scene unfolding. In it, hoards of zombies milled about the square in front of the pub while Shaun and the rest of the group pretended to be the undead to get to what they figured was the safest place to be holed up.

It had been a week since they'd arrived in the future, and in that time Kanda had shown Allen the wonders of the DVD. They'd been through all the best zombie movies, a few action flicks, and some American remakes of Japanese horror films that were almost funny. They took turns monitoring the gruesome door and trying everything they knew to open it, but the thing wouldn't budge.

Meals proceeded much as their first dinner had, although regularly a few people were missing from each gathering. Few showed up to breakfast, even fewer to lunch, but most of them made an effort to put in an appearance at the final meal of the day. The residents of the mansion mostly kept out of each other's way, save for when one got bored, which happened frequently. The only ones who actually kept themselves busy and stayed out of the frivolities were Ryuuzaki and Raito, but as often as they got dragged in, they weren't missing much.

Already, Kanda had woken up with a crazy silver haired teen attached to him, and he was subsequently informed that the boy crawled into the bed of a different person each night as he was incredibly clingy and used to the body heat of his dead older brothers, which was supposed to qualify as trauma enough to allow a bit of insanity. Personally, the raven haired man thought that a good run through with a sword would be enough to cure Kadaj of that annoying habit, but he hadn't actually been able to test it yet.

Furthermore, after Krad had explained the purpose of each room on the first floor, Kanda decided to be civil to the man. He had, after all, a few other outlets of frustration in the mansion and the blond vampire was no one to be trifled with. Cloud was proficient with a giant sword that balanced pretty well in combat with Mugen, so the two trained together in Krad's gym.

Allen had spent time both in the library and the theater, and between the two gathered a fairly accurate knowledge of the time period. He knew now that the sort of people who lived with Krad were generally to be considered abnormal, and that included himself and Kanda.

Vampires and werewolves still weren't widely acknowledged, as though they existed in fiction only. Roxas and Axel were apparently 'heartless' and known as Nobodies, but that didn't matter either.

Reno was something called a 'Turk,' which meant that he worked for some crazy power company known as Shinra, which had almost caused the end of the world – or something. Cloud was the one who'd saved the world, and he was a SOLDIER, or he used to be, or he thought he used to be. Allen wasn't really sure. Kadaj was a remnant of some insane guy named Sephiroth who was also responsible for the attempt to destroy the world, which the white haired boy figured sort of made sense, seeing as Kadaj was a little insane himself.

The man known as Ryuuzaki was an eccentric detective determined to catch a psychic psychotic serial killer known as 'Kira,' which was rumored to be Raito himself. Allen was a little puzzled when he found out that they'd been trying to solve the case for over three years and that Ryuuzaki was the world's top _three _detectives, but he decided to ignore that fact. Kira only went after criminals anyway, so unless time travel was a crime, Allen figured they were safe.

The only things really bugging Allen were the door and the continued lack of contact with the nineteenth century. He knew it was hopeless to use Timcanpy to try to communicate with the past, but that certainly didn't stop him from trying every night before he went to bed. Also, he was terrible with directions, so every time he tried to get anywhere in the mansion, he had to stop and ask a maid or a serving boy, or sometimes the young handsome butler himself. That included his room, which was pretty embarrassing. Usually he just followed Kanda, since the man's room was right next to his. There were just too many hallways and doors.

-Oo-

Lavi was immensely relieved to finally be getting off the train in Edo. The redhead felt a fair amount of apprehension as well, because the outcome of his inquiry could very easily be an unwanted one; he wasn't sure what he would do with himself if he found out that either Kanda or Allen were dead. He imagined it wouldn't be pretty.

He tugged the hood of his cloak down further around his face so as to be inconspicuous in the city full of akuma and ruthless humans. Luckily, the mansion which had been the exorcist's destination wasn't far from the train station, and he quickly made his way down the overcast street. The light coming in was a pale white, the kind one might get before or after a large storm. It was muted and Lavi liked it, despite the fact that it seemed a bit sorrowful.

After a short while, he made it to the foreboding structure and his eyes widened a bit. It didn't look like the sight of a misfortune beyond the doom and gloom of the place that he figured was natural. With a quick breath and mental preparation, he took a step onto the curvy walkway that led up to the stairs and eventually to the austere front door.

No amount of mental preparation could have prepared him for the sight that awaited. Instantly, the world _shifted_. The white light that had previously filtered through the clouds transformed itself to a sunny, welcoming yellow, and even the mansion seemed less imposing. A glance around confirmed that it wasn't just the weather that was different. Buildings around the place had been replaced with odd looking ones, and the street was more solid. The landscape had altered slightly as well. Lavi wasn't the type to jump to conclusions, so he took an experimental step backwards and confirmed his fate. The world was stuck like this. Fabulous.

He had an inkling of what might have occurred, but it didn't seem to be a realistic assumption. He strode up to the front door and knocked.

A man with black and purple hair appeared with a hopeful look, and began, "How much..." but when he took in the appearance of Lavi, he rolled his eyes. "Krad! Where do you get these guys, anyway!?" He walked away and was replaced by a blond with an amused expression on his face.

"Hi! I'm Lavi, and I'm wondering: what year is it?"

The blond grinned. "You're much quicker than the other two! I like you. It's 2008."

"Oh... the other two? Are they here!?"

The man smiled warmly. "Yes, Lavi, they're staying here. I'm Krad, as you may have guessed, and this is my home. Please, come in."

The relief that flooded Lavi made him scold himself once it had finished, but as he stepped into the entry way and allowed the anxiety to rush out, he felt complete, accomplished. Then he felt like crap. Because, really, wasn't the whole point to reassure Komui that the exorcists were okay? And now he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to, and Komui would think all of them lost.

He pushed those unwelcome thoughts to the back of his mind as he memorized the sight of the mansion's wide front room. It looked as if it's purpose could be for dances or parties in general, and the huge staircase could definitely be considered grandiose.

Krad interrupted his task. "I think the last place they were seen was the theater. It's through there," and he pointed the way.

Lavi, a little unable to believe that Krad had a whole acting troupe in his employ, figured it must be a future thing. He walked to the door and slowly tugged it open. The sight he was greeted with was shocking, to say the least. Hoards of zombies were breaking into what looked like a pub while a small group of people fended them off with various weapons on a giant screen that covered most of the far wall. He shoved the surprise away and scanned the rows of seats for the two familiar heads. Since they were the only ones in the room, it wasn't hard.

He spotted Allen laughing and Kanda looking at the boy with a grim smirk. To see them both happy while spending time together was a rare occurrence, and for some reason it made Lavi's stomach clench in an odd way. He almost felt as if he were interrupting something, but he pushed those thoughts aside as well and put on a happy face.

The redhead strode into the theater quietly and made his way to the row behind the other exorcists. He waited until there was a particularly nasty action sequence in what they were watching before popping up and grabbing both of their shoulders.

Allen jumped nearly three feet and yelled, and Lavi found himself on the receiving end of one of Kanda's outbursts, with Mugen pressed icily against the hollow of his throat. He put both of his hands up in mock surrender, and gave one of his winning smiles. "Now, is that anyway to greet the guy who came to rescue your ass, Yuu-chan?"

Kanda's eyes narrowed. "If my ass needed rescuing, you're certainly the last person I'd want to do it, Usagi-kun. _Don't_ call me by my first name."

"Well, gee, Kanda, it's great to see you too!" was the redhead's cocky reply.

"Lavi!" Allen exclaimed, still quite shaken. "You got sucked into the future too! Isn't it great?"

He chuckled. "I don't know Allen, I haven't been here for more than five minutes. What is that thing?" he asked, pointing to the screen.

"Oh, that's a movie! They're these great little discs called DVD's and when you stick them in the player you can watch a whole motion picture with a plot and actors and everything! It's like a play, but less personal." Allen paused to regain his breath. "Kanda discovered them."

"Congratulations, Yuu-chan! What a discovery!" He smirked, just glad to be back with them.

Kanda glared openly now. "Thanks, you little prick. Maybe instead of wasting your breath, you ought to tell us how you came to be here, and then we'll tell you about our mission."

Lavi's expression didn't change as he followed instructions. "That first day that you two didn't report in, Komui decided to send me after. He figured that the journey was so long that if I had any chance of helping at all, he had to send me immediately. I was supposed to report my findings, but I guess now that's impossible. He'll write Edo off as a death trap and not send more. I don't blame him. Now, the mission? Are we in any immediate danger?"

Kanda shook his head. "At least, not that we know of. Our host, Krad, is over two hundred years old because he's a vampire, and he had this place built around two hundred years ago. The architect was a bit insane and insisted on implementing a basement even though Krad didn't want one. He gave the man creative license because he just didn't care. Ever since he moved in, he couldn't open the damn thing. When he tried, it awoke something that screams, moans, taps the door violently, makes maids disappear, and spews blood out through the crack between the floor and door. It's disgusting. I'll show you."

"Kanda and I have tried various ways of opening it," Allen added, "but nothing works."

By this time Lavi's features had altered a bit to include caution and apprehension. "Well, show me, I guess."

They left the theater, Kanda pausing to stop the unfinished movie, and the two lead the redhead to the door in question. It was still daylight, so the only thing that was off was the quiet moaning. Lavi also instantly noticed the dark stain on the floor in front of creepy wooden structure.

"That... sure is something." was about all he could ground out.

"Yeah, and you haven't had to take turns babysitting it yet," replied Kanda.

"So, it's around dinner time... let's go introduce him to the other residents and carbonated beverages."

"... Okay."

-Xx-

After Lavi was thoroughly introduced to everyone, dinner began. He was seated next to the two other redheads of the group, Axel and Reno. The two were quite the pair, as both were rather laid back and had a flare for mischief.

"And then of course there was nothing she could do, yo. I was far, far away," finished Reno.

"Oh, man. That's great. What about you, Lavi?"

"Me? I definitely don't have much time for ladies, being an exorcist and an apprentice bookman, but there was this one chick... she was the hottest thing I've ever seen. I met her when I was trying to solve this vampire mystery. Anyway, she turned out to be an akuma - basically, a soul trapped inside a machine invented to carry out the evil tasks of the exorcist's worst enemy. It was a big blow," Lavi said.

Axel winced. "Ouch. Stuff like that happen to ya often?"

Lavi nodded miserably. "Not exactly like it, but... comes as part of the job, I guess."

Reno chuckled. "Can't always write it off as the job, yo. Maybe you're just not frequenting the right places."

Lavi stared. "If that's the case, it _is_ the job! I can't go anywhere unauthorized. Then there's the fact that I'm not supposed to have a heart. 'To observe in a way that is unbiased, we must not get emotionally involved.' That's practically the motto of the bookman."

"Who says you have to get emotionally involved, yo?"

Axel laughed. "Don't listen to him, he's a bad influence. There's nothing wrong with getting emotionally involved. Even if you're not supposed to have a heart."

"How would you know?"

It was Reno's turn to laugh. "He would know better than you. He's a Nobody, yo. That means that he literally doesn't have a heart."

"... Oh," said Lavi. "I guess you would know better then."

-Oo-

Allen sighed, content. The three exorcists were all in his room, as it was in the middle. "I'm so glad you came, Lavi. I think we're going to need all of help we can get to take down that basement fiend."

"Yeah, glad I could be of service. I just wish there was some way to tell Komui we were all okay... the man must be beating himself up over this."

Kanda shrugged. "No use worrying about it now. We'd be better off figuring out how to get back, which may or may not be linked to the basement."

Allen nodded. "I feel bad, but... there's nothing we can really do. I think over the next few days we should profile every member of the mansion, get to know them and see who could potentially help when we finally open the thing."

"Hmm, good idea," the redhead replied. "And I really have some studying to do... no bookman before has ever had knowledge of the future!"

Kanda stared pointedly. "Don't you think that might be kind of... dangerous?"

Lavi blinked. "Why?"

"Well, I hate to be the one with logic, but wouldn't knowledge of the future influence decisions in our present? For instance, Allen is faced with the decision to continue on with a mission or rescue Linali. Considering his annoying personality, we know he would go after her, and screw the mission. If, however, somewhere in some book of the future he reads that Linali is lost, he might just decide to continue the mission, making the text a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's dangerous. It's better to press forward with hope as your only guide; knowledge influences people too greatly."

The redhead stared. And stared. "Kanda, that's... nonsense. Jeez, you had me going for a minute. Knowledge is the most important thing. Besides, if I come back from the _future _with nothing to show for it, Old Panda will have my head."

* * *

Man, this took a long time. I always find myself really easily distracted by the internet when I sit down to type these things. One minute I'm looking on YouTube for scenes from Shaun of the Dead to implement and the next I'm watching Matt get his PSP stolen and Mello likening him to chocolate. I'm terrible that way.

I like the direction this is going, but I need you, the readers, to tell me what you think! Review, please?

By the way, I'm planning on this being a very long fic, and there will be a while before they make any headway with the door. I'm going to be writing mostly on developing their relationships and complete crack. If you have any scenarios you would like to see the boys in, please, feel free to tell me. I have a long list of possibilities already, but I aim to please, so I'm open to suggestions!


	7. A Morning Unlike Any Other

Devotion

Disclaimer: I only wish the characters belonged to me... but if they did, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction, obviously.

Warning: Rated M for sexual content and language. There will be yaoi; if you don't like, don't read.

Characters: Some characters included are not from the D.Gray-man series. Krad and Dark are both from DNAngel, but have their own bodies. Light Yagami and L are from Death Note, but their plot line has been greatly altered! I just decided that I, as the author of this fanfic, have creative license to do what ever I want with the plot, and the alterations suit my purposes much better. (Actually, I tried to avoid this. Really, I did! But unfortunately a key part of my plot just decided to hinge on the presence of some other characters from DN, and I have to do some fancy plot shuffling to fit them in. I hope you have fun guessing who!)Reno, Kadaj, and Cloud are from Final Fantasy VII. Roxas and Axel are from Kingdom Hearts. Turkish is Jason Statham, and the Russian mafia members are mostly from the Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. All of these characters are very ooc. It's not important for you to have read any of the series listed above, but it might make some things more interesting.

To **Scarlett Rhapsody**: You are the type of reviewer who bends the wills of authors with your hard-to-resist _eyes_. I do aim to please, but I'm rather torn up about what to do, pairing wise. And I did know before your and FireNose's pleas. I'll see what I can do. Thanks for reviewing!

To **Nella333**: Thanks for being so consistent! I always love your reviews. Keep it up, and I'll continue to update as fast as I can.

To **Cross – The Damned Alchemist**: Well, thank you! I try to update quickly, so I hope you're not disappointed.

To **Inuryu:** Heh, constructive criticism is so scarce, but I appreciate it none the less. Thanks for the suggestions, and I'm definitely going to involve the door in the plot, it's just a bit harder than your average mystery for the boys, is all. Thanks for reviewing!

**

* * *

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A Morning Unlike Any Other

"Lavi! Wake up! We've got to start getting to know people at breakfast! Come on!"

The redhead in question blinked a few times before taking in his surroundings. Sunlight was peeking through the curtains and around the white haired teen, who was sitting on his bed on his knees, bouncing slightly and still trying to rouse Lavi.

"Laviiii! Get up!"

"Alright, alright, I'm awake. You can... stop shaking the world now." He flashed one of his winning grins and threw on his clothes.

The scene was quickly repeated two doors down.

"Kanda, get up! We've got a lot to do today, lazy!"

"Yuu-chan, come on! Get out of bed already!"

"Uhnn, Moyashi? Usagi-kun? Nandayo?" Kanda said, still half asleep.

"Kanda," Allen said patiently, "We don't speak Japanese!"

Kanda groaned again. "Soudane..." He buried his head in the pillow.

"Kandaaaa! Get. Up. Now." Allen was frustrated at this point and bounced some more.

"Che, Moyashi, shut _up_. It's way too early for this."

The boy frowned. "It's seven already! Some people get up at this time and head down to breakfast. We've got to go catch them and get to know them! ...and my name is Allen, by the way."

Kanda sat up and glared half-heartedly. "Why are you both so awake?"

Lavi shrugged. "We don't have anything better to do, Yuu-chan."

The raven-haired man rolled his eyes. "_Don't _call me by my first name." He climbed out of bed around the two and found his coat. He shrugged it on and followed them with a fixed scowl.

The three descended the stairs and arrived in the dining room just as Raito and Ryuuzaki were seating themselves with their food and coffee.

They passed through and into the large kitchen which was usually only occupied by the servants. They each placed their orders and walked back out to find seats a comfortable distance from the other two. Lavi decided to break the ice.

"So... Ryuuzaki. You're the top three detectives in the world currently?"

L gave a bored look that didn't differ from his normal expression in the slightest. "Yes, I believe Krad-kun mentioned that at dinner last night."

Raito threw him a look that clearly said 'I can't believe I'm chained to someone with such awful manners!' or something to that effect.

"Yeah, so I was wondering – what's your take on this whole 'time travel' thing?" The redhead picked the conversation back up awkwardly.

"Well, Lavi-kun, I don't know much of your situation, but judging from the fact that you were brought here to 2008 in two separate groups, I'd say there is either a particularly long-lasting wormhole of the kind that are only rumored to exist in the exact spot where Krad-kun's walkway begins, or there is a good chance that there is something that you all must achieve before the mystical forces that brought you here are satisfied and send you back. Admittedly, the supernatural is not my area of expertise, nor are quantum physics. I only know the theories, of course." At this, the pale man brought a cherry to his mouth and sucked it in a bit sensually.

It was obvious to Lavi that the behavior was unintentional, just as it was obvious that Raito's gaze lingered just a little too long on the man's mouth for his feelings to be purely platonic. Lavi inwardly smirked; playing match-maker with them would be _fun. _"Oh, well thanks. I agree completely, I was just wondering if you, being from this time period and all, would have any other ideas. So have you had any curiosity about Krad's basement door?"

L brought his thumb to rest on his lower lip and looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "Though we have cameras set up in almost every room in this mansion and we have observed some of the oddities that occur in that room, I've never given it much thought. It seems as if it is one of the many anomalies of Krad's home; for here things do exist which are not meant to. As I said, it's not really my area of expertise."

Raito then decided to speak up. "You know, we're here because Ryuuzaki insisted on a change of scenery after the three long years we'd been working on the Kira case. He gets frustrated sometimes because when we first started out, I fitted perfectly with his idea of Kira. Now, after few leads that always end in disaster, we're getting no where. It seems as if Kira suddenly lost his ego, which admittedly was the easiest way of catching him. The point is, I suppose, that I've been chained to this guy for almost three years, and despite the fact that we have no new leads, we've never delved into the secrets of this place. It's probably for the best."

Allen spoke. "... Right. Tell us about the Kira case, then!"

-Oo-

In the end, Raito was far more polite and willing to share. Ryuuzaki sat and played with his cake for the most part, only bothering to throw details in when he thought his brunette counterpart missed something.

The exorcists did manage to learn one important thing: besides information gathering, the two genius detectives were of no use to their cause. It was time to move on to the next set.

"Breakfast wasn't exactly helpful..."

"And who's stupid idea was that, Moyashi!?" Kanda exclaimed, frustrated.

"Well, at least we ruled them out for everything but surveillance, _Yuu-chan_!" said Allen.

Kanda growled. Just as he opened his mouth to retort, Lavi jumped in. "Hey, hey, guys... We really don't have time for this."

Both of them shot him glares that could kill, but remained silent. "So... who's next?"

Allen calmed a bit and looked thoughtful for a second before deciding. "Well, maybe we ought to split up. It'll go faster. We can do Reno, Kadaj, and Cloud next."

Lavi nodded. "I already got to know Reno, so I'll take... Kadaj. If we put Kanda with Cloud, they'll just sit there staring moodily at the wall, so that means that you'll have to take Cloud, Allen. That leaves Reno for you, Kanda!"

Kanda's eyes narrowed. "Che, I hate that guy."

The redhead laughed. "You don't even know him! Look, just put up with him for long enough to figure out if he's useful or not. He's a lot like me, actually..."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

-Xx-

Lavi found Kadaj lounging in what appeared to be a ballroom, except that it had awkward colored lights all over and a really shiny mirror-ball in the center of the ceiling. There was a sort of raised area in the corner with what seemed to be modern equipment on it. He ignored it and took a seat by the silver-haired teen at the bar.

"Hey, I'm Lavi. Kadaj, right?"

"Yeah." The boy peered at him suspiciously.

"Um, so what is this place?"

He seemed to loosen up considerably. "It's called a nightclub... they play really loud fast music and a bunch of people dance together mindlessly. It's nice during the day, though. Quiet. I like to come here to brood."

Lavi laughed a little uncomfortably. He then noticed the drink that Kadaj was leaning over miserably. "Hey... what's that you're drinking?"

The teen looked down. "Oh, this? You really are clueless, aren't you? It's Dr. Pepper, a carbonated caffeinated beverage. Want to try one?"

Lavi nodded, he would do anything for the sake of knowledge.

Kadaj reached around the bar and pulled a second can out. He fumbled around more and came back up with a straw as well. He pulled the tab up and opened the soda, shoving a straw in the opening; he pushed it across the bar to Lavi.

The redhead took a sip, and was instantly surprised at the way the stuff felt bubbly in his mouth.

"Well?"

"... It's amazing."

-Oo-

Allen watched the blond man walk casually into the hedge maze in Krad's giant back yard, and he was instantly floored. He got lost easily, so he'd been avoiding the labyrinth ever since they'd arrived. It was tall and imposing, and he'd heard rumors that it was constantly altering itself. After a few seconds of deliberation, he entered at the next opening. He figured he'd get so lost he'd run into Cloud one way or the other.

-Xx-

Kanda strode up to Reno in one of the second floor corridors. "Che, you're Reno, right?"

The redhead turned to glance at him before replying, "I'd think after a week you'd know that, yo."

The raven-haired man rolled his eyes. "Obviously I did know," he replied.

"Then why'd ya have to ask?" He laughed. "I'm just messing with ya. What's on your mind?"

Kanda grimaced. "I was wondering, what did you do before you came here?" Feigning interest in anything was just not part of the mask he worked so hard to put up.

"Oh. Well, I worked for Shinra, yo. I was a Turk."

-Oo-

Lavi laughed. "I really don't know. Why are you so glum all of the time?"

Kadaj rested his chin in his hands. "I... well, once I had a cause. And now I'm just here, doing pretty much nothing, wanting something I can't ever have."

The redhead put on a concerned air. "Why don't you tell me about it?"

The silver-haired teen shrugged. "You don't really care. The only ones who do are dead."

Lavi looked away. "You need to tell_ someone, _don't you? I really don't mind being that someone."

He looked up from his soda and at the bookman apprentice. "What's in it for you?"

Lavi turned back to him and smiled. "Information."

-Xx-

As Allen suspected, he ran into Cloud after about ten minutes of wandering. At that point, he guessed the only way he would make it out was to follow the blond. "Hey, Cloud!"

The man stopped in his tracks and looked around. Spotting Allen, he seemed a bit relieved. "Yeah?"

"Um... this is kind of embarrassing, but... I don't think I can find the way out. I don't even know what I was thinking attempting to solve the labyrinth! Do you think... would you mind if I stuck with you?" Allen finished rather lamely.

Cloud shook his head. "I'm... always glad to be of service."

"Oh, thanks!" The boy sighed with actual relief. "So, why'd you enter the maze?"

"I wanted... time to think."

"Oh, uh... if you don't mind my asking... what about?"

Allen's innocent eyes were just enough to break through Cloud's outermost walls.

-Oo-

Kanda walked away from the outgoing redhead with intense relief. His charisma was almost to much for the raven-haired man to bear. He headed in the direction that he remembered Lavi going to find Kadaj.

He heard two voices, and one sounded like Lavi's, so he paused outside the door of the room they were coming from and listened in.

"He says it's because I'm sixteen, a _kid_, and he could never think of me that way. I'm not a kid! I've been through so much more than any average sixteen year old... and I'm almost seventeen," Kadaj grumbled.

Lavi nodded. "Maybe that's not enough for him. I dunno, it sounds like he's pretty sure of what he wants. What makes you so sure that you want him because you love him? I mean, it kind of sounds like you're just after him because it's a challenge. Because you can't have him."

Kadaj semi-glared in the redhead's direction. "I... don't know. I... Brother's always much kinder to me than Reno, but... It feels like he's only nice because he has to be. Like he feels obligated. I don't want that."

"What if you're wrong? What if it just seems that way because Cloud isn't used to being kind? Maybe you should explore that a bit."

"Yeah, well... thanks. For listening, even if what you were really after was information."

Lavi laughed. "You're welcome. Thanks for introducing me to Dr. Pepper. I'm eternally in your debt."

The teen laughed then as well. "Shut up, idiot."

"See you around."

"... Sure."

With that, Lavi got up and walked out of the nightclub. When he nearly ran into Kanda, he started. "Whoa, Yuu-chan. Done already?"

Kanda scowled. "Yes, and I don't think Reno's going to be any help. He's like... an incompetent body guard, and he flies something called a helicopter. Useless."

Lavi chuckled. "Well, I doubt that I would feel comfortable using Kadaj. He's a good fighter, but he's kind of clingy and confused. I think Cloud has feelings for him, and he thinks he has feelings for Reno. It's... sad."

Kanda shrugged. "Che, who's Dr. Pepper?"

The redhead burst out laughing. "Who's... who's... oh, man, that's too funny, Kanda. Dr. Pepper is a drink. A soda. Like Coke. Let's go find Allen and see what he's got."

They wandered around for a bit and found Allen sitting on a bench outside the hedge maze. He looked worn out.

"Moyashi, any luck?" Kanda inquired.

"My... name is... Allen, and... not really. I don't think," he panted.

"Elaborate," said Lavi.

Allen shrugged. "He's saved the world twice, but... I don't think this is his cup of tea. Look, I'd rather we didn't split up again."

"Oh, okay," the redhead replied. "Who next? Axel and Roxas?"

Allen nodded. "I guess. Let's see if we can find them," he said.

The trio took off back into the mansion and searched the first floor. When they had no luck, they decided to try obvious places, like their rooms. They started with Axel's, and when they heard no reply, they moved on to Roxas'. Allen knocked and heard a shout of "One minute!" and what sounded like a commotion. They waited for the voice to shout "Come in!" before opening the door and shuffling into the room.

As Axel and Roxas came into view, Lavi noticed that they were on opposite sides of the room and both had rumpled clothing. The younger one's cheeks were slightly flushed, and they were pointedly looking at anything but each other.

The redhead, thinking quickly, spoke. "Oh, Axel and Roxas? Funny, I could have sworn this was Reno's room. Sorry for bothering you! See ya." He quickly pulled the other two out of the room after him and shut the door. "I don't think we're going to need them," He said quickly.

Kanda raised an eyebrow. It was painfully clear to Lavi that neither of his fellow exorcists were very bright when it came to things like that. "Uh, it's just that, I'd rather not interrupt anything that they might have been _doing_."

Allen looked confused as well and opened his mouth to speak, but Lavi zoned out for a moment and said to himself, "I wonder if Krad knows that twenty year old is making out with his adopted son..."

And Allen clamped his mouth shut.

* * *

Wh-hoo! It's chapter seven, and it's fresh from my brain. You know you've got it bad when you're lying in bed wide awake and thinking 'Why can't I get to sleep?? Oh. _Oh. _I haven't updated my fanfic in two days, that's why.' And that was three nights ago. I'm terrible. Although, considering that I'm now doing a balancing act between _Devotion_ and _I Am Yours_, I'm actually doing pretty well.

So, I don't ever know how well I'm doing until you, the readers, tell me what you think. In other words... review, please?


End file.
